Billing & Account Information

Billing

We send your bills by first-class mail. You are billed every month, at approximately the same time of the month. An electric bill becomes delinquent if it is not paid within 20 days of the date it is issued. We send a reminder notice 21 days from the date the bill is issued and a notice of delinquency 5 business days later. This notice allows customers 7 additional days to make payment. We will disconnect service without further notice if payment has not been made by that time.

Late payment charges are $3.00 or 1.5% (whichever is greater) on past due amounts of $50.00 or more. Late Payment charges will be added to accounts with amounts overdue at the time the following month’s bill is calculated.

We realize that it may not be possible for you to always pay the full amount, but please don’t ignore your bill. We urge you to promptly arrange a payment schedule by calling or visiting your local Central Lincoln business office.

Deposits

Residential Customers

We require all customers who apply for service to make a deposit, unless they have previously established credit with us, have an acceptable letter of credit from a previous serving electric utility, or undergo and pass our credit check procedure. Established credit with Central Lincoln, or letter of credit, must cover at least a continuous 12-month period, and that period may not have ended more than one year ago.

The deposit amount will be the greater of the current minimum deposit amount or two times the average monthly electrical usage at the service location during the previous 12 months. If the requested service is for a new structure, the deposit amount will be based on electric usage for comparable structures or as determined by our Distribution Engineering Department.

We require the deposit, letter of credit from a previous electric utility or credit check before we connect a service. If you make a deposit to start service, and you later supply us with a letter of reference, we will credit your account with the amount of your deposit.

We may also require a deposit from customers who fail to pay electric bills when they are due.

We will require any customer who has been disconnected for nonpayment to comply with all of the following before we restore service:

Pay delinquent amount, or make arrangements with us for payment.

Pay a reconnect charge.

Make a deposit, or increase an existing deposit, if disconnected for nonpayment twice in the past 12 months.

If we must disconnect a customer twice for nonpayment in the past 12 months, we may double the deposit.

Once you have established a minimum of one year’s acceptable credit with us (or two years, for commercial accounts), we will apply the amount of your deposit to your Central Lincoln account.

Commercial Customers

All commercial customers who apply for service are required to pay a deposit. The deposit amount will be the greater of the current minimum deposit amount or two times the average monthly electrical usage for the service location during the previous 12 months. If the requested service is for a new structure, the deposit amount will be based on electric usage for comparable structures or as determined by our Distribution Engineering Department.

Disconnections & Collections

Failing to make satisfactory payment arrangements with a Central Lincoln customer service representative.

Failing to pay a deposit, if required.

Failing to keep a payment commitment.

Violating Central Lincoln service policies.

We dislike disconnections. They are not only inconvenient for you, they are expensive for us both. We try to prevent them by sending notices of overdue bills or advising, by letter, of other circumstances which would result in a service disconnection.

In collecting unpaid bills and taking action on delinquent accounts, we follow established business practices and meet all legal requirements including the use of outside legal collection sources.

In hardship cases, it may be possible to arrange a payment schedule with your local Central Lincoln business office.

* If we dispatch a crew to disconnect a service, a reconnect fee will be charged even if a physical disconnection isn’t completed.

Opening and Closing Accounts

The cost of processing an application to receive service at a new address is called a Processing Fee. It applies equally to new customers, who have never had a Central Lincoln account, and to established customers who move or transfer service to their name within the Central Lincoln service area.

The fee applies to both residential and commercial accounts. The fee is added to the first bill you receive at your new address.

When the time comes to close your account, just call or write your local Central Lincoln business office a day or two before you move. Otherwise, you may be billed for charges up to the date the next customer applies for service. (You’re responsible for billing until you notify us that you’re moving.)

Central Lincoln will take appropriate actions, including disconnecting service, to protect property and customers when a hazardous condition exists.

Small Bill Adjustments

When closing an account with us, if the balance owed us is $2 or less, we will waive that amount. Due to administrative costs associated with processing refunds, all accounts with a credit balance of $2 or less will be assessed a service fee, equal to the credit balance of the account.

Tampering With Electric Service

Don’t do it. Tampering with electric service is both illegal and extremely dangerous.

If you tamper with your service or reconnect your service illegally, you must pay the actual cost of replacing any equipment you damage and pay an estimated bill, based on previous usage, for the amount of time your service was illegally reconnected. You will be charged a “tampering fee,” and you may also face criminal prosecution.